Alaska - Glacier Bay National Park - Wildlife

Wildlife.  Critters, as Jill prefers to describe them.  Critters are one of Jill’s greatest joys while cruising and numerous encounters have been experienced over the many miles traveled on Last Dance, but no other cruising area even comes close to the variety and density of wildlife as does Alaska.

A couple eagles were sighted on bergie bits, the pieces of ice that calf off the glaciers.  This one chose not to stay as Adventures approached his position.

Southeastern Alaska has two variety of bears, the brown bear and the black bear.  Both are prolific.  During our time in the park, the black bears were the ones interested in putting on a display.  A couple were sighted along the shore.  Near the park headquarters, where a number of hiking trails are maintained, the trails were closed for a while during our visit as three juvenile black bears roamed the area not sure of their purpose.

Robin Roberts Photo

Previous cruises into Glacier Bay, discussions, and diligent research have helped Robin and Jim identify places where different species of wildlife prefer to come for the birthing season or where they feed.  This knowledge allowed them to find many encounters with critters.  Running the boat close to a vertical rock wall along the side of Gloomy Knob, mountain goats were spotted.  Most had very new kids.  A number were observed nursing.  The goats have developed an uncanny ability to walk along these vertical walls, a place their predators will not chance.

Southern Marble Island is one of the smallest in the bay, but it teems with wildlife.  From a distance, it looks like a white rock rising out of the deep bay.  Closer viewing reveals many species of wildlife that make this island their home.

In this image, a large colony of Steller Sea Lions can be seen on the right.  The glaciers polished many rock outcroppings on and around this island, providing smooth surfaces for the sea lions to sun.  

Large males commanded harems of females, being always on the watch for any that might want to leave.

Southern Marble Island is also a rookery for a number of species of birds.  The most colorful, in a cute and endearing way, is the Tufted Puffin.  He differs from his eastern shore cousins from Nova Scotia in that there is a tuft of feathers running along the side of his head.  A bit like he chooses a longer hairstyle combed back on the sides in a 1950s ducktail.  

When taking off from the water, they run along the water to gain speed.  Many were in the water each time we passed Southern Marble.  Seems you cannot take your eyes away from the water as you marvel at these little creatures.

Robin Roberts Photo

Maybe the highest ranking on the cuteness scale is the Sea Otter.  They float on their backs.  After retrieving a shellfish, they will lay a rock on their chest and pound the shell against it to break it open.  The moms keep their young on their stomachs as they float.  Or, maybe like this one, they just want to clap in welcome of the cruising boaters.

Harbor Seals give birth and raise their young on ice flows.  They do not go ashore.  Ice flows coming into the bay from John Hopkins Glacier had many Harbor Seals and their pups.  

Of course, the big sea creatures that all visitors hope to catch a glance of are the whales.  Humpback Whales feed in Glacier Bay and all of the waterways among the islands of Southeastern Alaska.  Whales are a challenge for the photographer.  You hear them first, as they exhale a large plume of water mist into the air.  Then, they dive down again giving no indication to the photographer where they might appear next.  Some cameras have a bit of a delay between when the button is pressed and the shutter actually opens to capture the image making it even tougher to catch the whale above water.  Robin has a camera holder that is much like a rifle stock, allowing a quick movement and a quick shot.  This photographer did manage a couple whales in the viewfinder, but only minimally.  In one, a Humpback cruises around the small cove where Adventures was anchored.  In the second, a Humpback was feeding at the entrance to the marina in the small town of Hoonah.  Captain Robin kept Adventures the appropriate distance away and willingly waited for the large creature to finish feeding and move out into the bay before approaching any closer to the marina.

Alaska - Glacier Bay National Park - Glaciers

A bit of little-known history is necessary to understand this bay.  There was a Little Ice Age in 1750 which caused glaciers in this area to advance, carving out valleys and a deep bay.  The glaciers receded and most continue to recede.  The main glacier, the Grand Pacific, has receded 65 miles, leaving a wide, deep bay running north/south with finger bays extending to the sides, which were cut by other glaciers.

John Muir first visited Glacier Bay in 1879 to find that the glaciers had receded 40 miles in the past century.  Other scientists followed, studying how plant life was reintroduced to barren rock scraped by the glaciers.  The scientists convinced President Coolidge to protect the area as a National Monument in 1925.  Glacier Bay became a park in 1980, comprised of 3.3 million acres – ample area to keep cruisers and hikers challenged and entertained.  Today, only 24 recreational boats are allowed in the Bay at any one time, and then only after the captain has been formally instructed on how to enjoy the park without encroaching on wildlife and ecosystems.

The gray wall meeting the water in the middle of this image is the Grand Pacific Glacier.  For scale, a cruise ship would look tiny in front of it.  The face is two miles wide. This river of ice, 34 miles long, runs down from the right and turns to meet the bay.  The gray color is the granite rock that has ground away as it travels down the mountain, cutting a deeper and deeper valley.   Relatively warm temperatures and the sun have melted away some of the ice, leaving the rock exposed.  The seemingly small white spot on the left is another glacier, Margerie. 

Margerie is a showy glacier.  She runs down to the bay where the water is deep, her face calving off into a white-blue sheer wall.  Margerie is a mile wide and moves 6–8 feet a day.  At times, the water in front of Margerie is covered with ice pieces, known as brash ice.  More thinly scattered pieces down the bay are called bergie bits.  One did provide ice for our drinks for multiple days.

The ice lasted days because it is so dense, compressed under millions of tons of snow.  When it is really dense, it takes on a blue color. 

Margerie Glacier - Robin Roberts Photo

One of the side bays to the south was created by the John Hopkins Glacier.  The upper reaches of this bay are boat free in May and June as it is the favorite place for Harbor Seals to give birth on top of the ice flows.  So, a view of John Hopkins was not possible.  But, don’t despair.  At the mouth of John Hopkins Bay, another glacier moves into the bay from the south.

Lamplugh Glacier

Lamplugh is another showy glacier with an often-calving, white-blue face.  It, too, meets the bay where the water is deep.  It groans, creaks, and makes cracking sounds as it moves forward and loses hunks of ice to the bay.  A couple more images will give a glimpse of this enormous moving mass of ice.

Lamplugh, John Hopkins, Margerie, and Grand Pacific Glaciers enter the north end of the bay within only a few miles.   The fact that so many glaciers can be traveling down mountainsides in such close proximity is mind-boggling.  And, such massive quantities of ice being dropped into the bay is unfathomable.  Then, only a couple more miles south, there is another glacier, Reid.

Reid Glacier

Reid is a slow-moving glacier, allowing the ice to melt and exposing the crushed rock which was ground away on its run down the mountain.  Although not the prettiest of the glaciers, it has many features for the cruising boater. 

 First, it has created a bay, one shallow enough in which to anchor.  (Most of the inlets and bays have depths of 100+ feet, making it impossible to securely anchor.)  As the glaciers move forward, they push a wall of rocks ahead of them, a moraine.  When they retreat, that wall becomes a shoal area, sometimes high enough to be dry land.  In this image of Reid Bay, looking back from near the glacier’s face, the small spit of land on the left is part of the moraine.  For a sense of scale, and the scale here is large, the small white dot in front of the green spit is a 49 DeFever pilothouse.

The second advantage of the Reid Glacier for cruisers is that the shoreline is dinghy landable, providing access for the crew to explore the glacier up close and personal.  Having the advantage of cruising close (well, as close as one wishes to dare the ice calves as they break off and fall into the sea) to the showy glaciers, gives those fortunate enough to cruise on a private vessel an incredible experience shared by few people.  But, at Reid, the experience can be even more intense as one can walk on the glacier, touch the glacier, peer inside the glacier.

The water in Reid Bay is a milky white.  Closer to the glacier, the water is even whiter.  This phenomenon is created due to the grinding of the ice over rock, grinding some of the rock as fine as flour.   Glacier flour mixes with the water and the particles are so fine and light that they stay suspended.

Hiking is an activity enjoyed by the Last Dance crew and the Adventures crew also.  Reid Bay’s shore access gave everyone a chance to stretch their legs and explore the landscape.  A walk along the beach reveals the many colors of granite rock the glacier has ground away, streams running across the beach from the melting snow and the waterfalls down the sides of the mountains, and the various fauna that are trying to establish themselves.

Not all glaciers reach to the bay.  Some move down the side of a mountain and end high above sea level.  One such glacier, Aurora, was spotted on a trip around Gilkie Bay.  The ice face of the glacier can be seen high in the valley between the peaks.  And, yes, another magnificent view of the mountain ranges that ring Glacier Bay.  Most peaks near the bay are only 5,000 feet in elevation.  “Only” because on a very clear day, Mount Fairweather’s peak at 15,000 feet can be seen. 

Aurora Glacier

In the northern half of Glacier Bay, everyone’s eyes should be on the water for both navigation and viewing interests.  Bergie bits abound.  They can comprise many tons of ice which one would not like to challenge with the hull of their boat.  They also exhibit nature’s ability to create sculpture in both the abstract and formal senses.  

One appeared to be a Dog Fish or cartoon fish, another a sculpture of a fish out of water.  All are interesting sights.

Bergie Bits also provide places for wildlife to roost – literally, if it is proper to call an eagle perched as roosting.  A couple eagles were sighted on bergie bits, this one was a bit shy, choosing not to look at the camera.

Ice is the landscape of Glacier Bay.  As the glaciers continue to move, they continue to shape the geography of the bay and making for an ever-changing environment.  There is much artistry in nature.

Alaska - Glacier Bay National Park Views

There are many reasons why people travel.  At the top of the list will be to see different places and different geography.  For two Floridians, Glacier Bay is filled with very different geography.  Geography that is breathtakingly beautiful.

The mountain above seems to have a face looking to the heavens.  It is almost spiritual in nature, particularly after interacting with the Native Americans in this area.  But, that will be another story in a later post.  

The amazing views just seem to never stop.  Move up into the various bays and a new beautiful vista reaches out and grabs your senses.  Your breathing rate increases and you must verbally exclaim your reactions to anyone in earshot.  Rather than more description, a few images are shared for your gaze.